A panel of international labor leaders, from left, David Cockroft, Anita Normark, moderator Mark Shields, Reinhard Kuhlman and Stefan Lofven discuss ways to build international ties to fight corporate globalization.

Convention Builds International Solidarity

As a testament to the global economy we now live in, labor leaders from Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Brazil, Japan, France, Switzerland, Finland traveled to Cincinnati to be part of the largest international delegation in Convention history. Their purpose: to change the free trade system that is destroying jobs, families and communities everywhere.

“The future of international trade does not belong to global corporations,” declared President Tom Buffenbarger. “Workers’ rights are the essential building blocks of a global economy based on fairness, inclusion, transparency and democracy.”

IMF General Secretary Marcello Malentacchi:"Workers in all countries are concerned about the same things."

“Workers in all countries are concerned about the same things: ‘What’s going to happen to my job and to my family,’” said Marcello Malentacchi, General Secretary of the International Metalworkers’ Federation. “We must work together to save manufacturing jobs, fight for human rights and labor rights that will allow all workers to buy the goods they produce.”

In a forum moderated by distinguished columnist Mark Shields, and international labor leaders discussed ways to stop corporate globalization. “Globalization is a fact, whether we like it or not. We have to find ways to make it work for workers,” said General Secretary David Cockroft of the International Transport Workers’ Federation.

“In the past, increased competiveness was followed by an increase in workers’ standard of living, but now company profits go up and workers’ standards go down,” said General Secretary Reinhard Kuhlmann of the European Metalworkers’ Federation. “We can no longer face this on a national level, we need the practical cooperation of the world’s trade union movement.”

Anita Normark, General Secretary of the International Federation of Building and Wood Workers, observed “The richer are getting richer, the poorer are getting poorer and it’s happening in every country in the world. We must work together to raise the floor for workers all over the world.”

“Companies are playing us against each other,” said Stefan Lofven, Vice President of Svenska Metall. “We’re in this together, all of us. We must stick together to make sure a part of the staggering amounts of capital flowing across the globe is used to benefit workers.”

Delegates Take Bold Action for a Strong Future

Convention delegates acted on several proposed amendments to the IAM Constitution to organize more members, increase strike benefits and operate better financially. Delegates approved an amendment to make a one-time transfer of $30 million from the IAM Strike Fund into a new Organizing Fund that will use all investment income from the fund for organizing activities.

Delegates also acted to increase strike benefits to $150 per week beginning January 1, 2005, while knocking down a proposal to provide short-term health insurance as part of temporary strike benefits.

In a final action, delegates approved a Centralized Accounting System (CAS) which would provide a centralized point within each district lodge for the collection of membership dues and data and the distribution of per capita taxes and monthly reports. The CAS system will help local Secretary-Treasurers comply with complex new reporting rules put in place by the U.S. Labor Department.